Beginnings
by dontmissthis
Summary: Follows the pregnancy of Maura Isles. Pure fluff designed to give you happy feels and a goofy grin on your face.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**These will be out of order snippets full of fluff and really not much else—some will be long and some will be short. I'll add more as I come up with them. I just think pregnant Maura is too cute and I cannot get over these feels. **

…

Jane groans, shivering as she pulls the comforter off her body to stand from the bed. It was the dead of winter and yet, Maura had been keeping the house at a temperature well below anything Jane deemed comfortable. The hardwood floor is ice cold against her feet so she quickly walks over to the dresser to pull out a pair of socks—which were white and small and decidedly _not _hers.

She frowns as she tugs them on and sees that they barely even cover her heels.

They were definitely going to renegotiate the thermostat settings later. Or else she would actually need to do laundry so she could have a pair of her own socks to wear.

She walks to the top of the stairs and starts to descend, grinning at the sight of Maura standing in the kitchen—facing the opposite direction and hips swaying ever so slightly to the sound of her soft hums filling the air. Jane walks up behind her, wrapping her arms around the widest part of Maura's stomach and smiling at the barely audible gasp tumbling from her wife's lips.

She rests her chin on Maura's shoulder, turning her head to smell the faint shampoo of the light curls. Maura smiles and she crookedly grins back; thumbs slowly rubbing circles on her Maura's ever-expanding stomach as she makes the decaffeinated coffee she craves before work every morning.

Jane leans in and slightly kisses her temple. "How are both my girls doing this morning?"

Laughing lightly, Maura leans back into her embrace. "Sophia and I are much better now that you're awake."

"That's what I like to hear."

….


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Please note that these will be out of order. Thanks for reading!**

…

Jane finally gets home from work, kicking off her shoes and jerking off her coat before tossing it on the back of the couch. Today was too long, too awful to even bother with trying to hang it like Maura so often nagged her about doing. She manages to walk up the stairs quietly just in case Maura had already gone to sleep, but she instantly comes to a stop outside the bedroom door when she hears voices.

She listens closely. _A_ voice.

It only takes a moment for her to realize that it's Maura reading aloud in different accents and tones and expressions that she's never even heard before. It's so cute and _different _that she presses herself against the wall to listen and not interrupt. Jane stands there for long minutes, hearing the differences of Maura's voice, the pages being slowly turned, and the rustle of sheets every so often as she shifts.

Jane presses her ear closer to the wall and instantly stiffens in fear of being discovered when there's a long, drawn out pause. She hears Maura inhale and then, "That doesn't quite make sense, but it _is_ a fairy tale I suppose."

Jane's laugh instantly gives her away. She walks into the bedroom, smiling at the pleasant surprise written so plainly across Maura's face. She climbs on the bed, leaning against the headboard as close to Maura as she can. "What are you doing?"

Shrugging, Maura closes the book. "Sophia is old enough to hear external sounds now," she says with a head tilt as it's all the explanation that's needed.

Jane looks down, grabbing the book and flipping open to the first page. "So you picked…Cinderella as her first book?"

"I was curious. I had never read it before and I thought I would share the experience with her."

Jane's heart feels like it instantly drops. For all the complaining she did as a child, Angela always made sure she never wanted for anything; she was always there for Jane no matter what. But Maura…she had no one as a child. No one to read her fairy tales or tuck her in at night. No one to take her to the park or on impromptu family picnics. Maura probably never even did more than a handful of things with her family as a child, now that Jane thinks about it.

Jane pulls Maura closer to her side, slightly turning towards her to get more comfortable as she clears her throat. She is going to be there to fill in the gaps that Maura's parents had left behind, no matter what. Even if it means reading a fairy tale in silly voices at eleven at night after a fourteen hour workday.

Because she'll do anything for Maura; for Maura _and_ Sophia. Including this. She opens the book to the page Maura had left off, and starts to read aloud to her daughter and wife.

….

Leave your thoughts if you'd like. (:


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for the lovely feedback! **

**I've been listening to Christmas music since Halloween day, so the majority of these are set in the winter. And considering there are no winter episodes on the show, I'm not even sorry. **

…

After changing out of the ridiculous Christmas sweater Maura had forced her into for the annual BPD Christmas party, Jane starts walking back downstairs to see Maura standing completely in the dark save for the lit Christmas tree in the living room. The white lights are reflecting off of her fair hair and pale skin.

She's glowing, absolutely glowing and Jane pauses at the bottom of the stairs to watch Maura turn a single ornament barely an inch to the right to straighten it. Jane grins to herself. It's just so _Maura_, that it'd be odd if she expected anything less.

Jane walks up beside her, wrapping her arm low around Maura's waist and pulling her closer. "It's perfect."

Maura slightly nods and Jane turns to look at her profile as she speaks. "I wish Sophia was going to be here for Christmas."

"Me too." Jane looks down, glancing at Maura's completely rounded stomach before back up to her face. "But we don't have much longer, do we?"

"Twenty-seven days if I carry her to term," Maura says with a grin, her own hand subconsciously coming up to rest upon her abdomen.

"We can leave it up until she gets here if you want," Jane suggests, slightly shrugging.

"Perhaps," she says with a smile that means, _yes_ they absolutely would be leaving it up until Sophia is born.

Maura leans back into Jane's side and she pauses, standing there with Maura for only a moment before leaning up and digging around on one of the branches of the tree—the only place Maura wouldn't look for fear of messing up her decorations. But now is as good of a time as any to do this.

Maura tilts her head, brow furrowing as she watches. "What are you—"

"Hold on," Jane says, grinning when her fingers touch soft velvet. She grasps the small box in her fingers and pulls it out, turning around to face Maura once again. "I know it's a little early and we said no gifts, but…"

She opens the box and Maura lightly gasps, eyes almost instantly watering. In it lies a white gold necklace with a circular pendant—small birthstone adorning the middle.

_Sophia's_ birthstone.

Jane anxiously looks between Maura and the box in her hand. "It's okay if you don't like it. I can take it ba—"

"Help me put it on," Maura whispers, eyes still brimming with tears. "Please."

Jane broadly smiles and moves to stand behind Maura. She brushes blonde curls over Maura's shoulder and her fingers nimbly latch the clasp. She fixes Maura's hair and then rests her chin on her shoulder. "Is it okay?"

"It's perfect." Maura reaches up, lightly taking the pendant in her grasp and running her finger across the stone. "I don't think I'll ever willingly take it off."

Jane gasps in faux shock. "Did Maura Isles just exaggerate? Never thought I'd see the day."

"It was no exaggeration," Maura says with the tiniest of grins. "I want to make sure Sophia knows she's on my mind every single day."

Jane instantly sobers at that, wrapping her arms around Maura and gently squeezing. "There'll be no benign neglect here, Maura. She'll always know how much we love her."

"Thank you," she whispers, hand lightly squeezing Jane's arm wrapped around her stomach as she leans back in the embrace. "I…Thank you so much."

And it's a thanks of appreciation for Jane always being there, for being exactly what Maura needs, and knowing what Maura means even when she doesn't directly voice her fears. And Jane understands.

She leans in, kissing Maura's cheek. "I love you, it's what I'm here for."

Maura swallows thickly, not even trying to hide the elation running through her as a lone, errant tear falls when she smiles. "I love you too. Always."

"Always."

….

….

**Your feedback is fabulous. Thank you so much. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Your kind words are amazing, thank you!**

**Also, I was writing the next chapter of Change Is Good but the election has gotten me frazzled so I wrote this little thing instead. Hope you enjoy! **

**Again, set in winter. Blame it on my Christmas music. **

…

They walk out of The Robber, hand in hand as they wait for a cab. Maura shivers in the cold, night wind so Jane wraps her arms around her, pulling her close. She watches as little white flakes of snow catch in Maura's hair and eyelashes, smiling as some of the flakes melt against her cheeks that are tinged pink from the cold.

Jane kisses her temple, playfully nuzzling her nose in the blonde hair right under Maura's hat that, on anyone else, would surely look ridiculous. Not on her though.

Jane grins as Maura reaches up to push away black curl that the wind was waywardly blowing against Jane's cheek. It immediately falls back in her face and she lightly shakes her head. "You know better than to try and fix it."

Maura laughs, leaning into Jane as close as the swell of her stomach would allow. "And you know you should at least _try_ to brush it and yet, you never do."

"How is that supposed to keep it from blowing in my face, Doctor Smartypants?" Maura tilts her head, eyes narrowing as she smiles. Jane wags her eyebrows, pulling her towards the cab that just pulled up to the sidewalk. "Exactly. Now let's get my girls home," she opens the cab door, kissing Maura on the cheek as she climbs in, "The ball drops in an hour and I _know_ you don't want to miss that."

The innuendo is not lost on Maura. In the past few years, Jane had made sure to make New Year's Eve one of their favorites and this one would surely be no different. She smiles, leaning against Jane's side as the cab starts to drive away from the curb. Their hands lace and she rests her cheek against Jane's shoulder—loving the comforting, normality that just simply _being_ with Jane often brought.

She looks up, grinning back at the soft smile adorning Jane's lips. "As long as I'm with you, I'm not missing anything."

…

….


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you for all of your lovely reviews (: **

**Non-chronological. This takes place a month or so before the others have. **

…

Frost's head tilts back, white teeth flashing as he belts out a hearty laugh. Ana smiles, her white dress pooling around her feet as she steps closer to him—nearly glowing with happiness and excitement as the slowly start to turn in small circles. Forgetting everyone and everything around them.

Jane looks from her newly-wed partner to Maura sitting by her side. Her light hair is in long, loose curls and her makeup is done impeccably—although unnecessarily. Jane had woken up next to her in the mornings enough to know she was just as beautiful without. She grins, reaching over to lightly graze the skin of Maura's thigh just below the hem of her pale blue dress. "Let's dance."

Maura's brow furrows. Jane was never one to offer to do something like this at home, much less in public. "We don't have to. I know how much you dislike it."

"And I know how much you love it," Jane laughs, standing and holding her hand out to help Maura up. "C'mon. I might even let you lead."

"Highly doubtful," she says with a smile as she takes Jane's hand.

Certain that Jane would try to hide in the corner, Maura's mouth nearly drops open when Jane pulls them near the center of the room in the middle of everyone. It could never be said that Jane wouldn't try to show Maura off, even at the expense of humiliating herself in a room full of people she worked with every day—and Maura loved her all the more for it.

Jane turns to face her and Maura looks down at her ever-growing stomach. "This won't be particularly easy."

"But not impossible," Jane takes another step, wrapping one arm around Maura's waist and pulling her close as their other hands clasp together. She leans in, cheeks pressed together as her lips ghost the shell of Maura's ear. "You may be 600 pounds," she laughs as Maura pinches her arm, "but you're still the prettiest girl in the room."

Smiling, Maura pulls back and lets her eyes roam over Jane's face as they slowly continue to sway. "I'm not so sure about that."

Deflecting, Jane laughs and looks off—eyes settling on Frost's 86 year old grandmother. "Yeah, Louise is looking pretty good over there, isn't she?"

"Jane…" Maura trails off, airily laughing. "I'm being serious."

"I know," she says, leaning down and lightly kissing Maura's lips. "So I guess that means Sophia's guaranteed to be cute too, huh?"

Maura slightly tilts her head. "Considering the fact that Sophia wasn't made from the combining of both of our eggs, no. Not to mention the fact that gen—"

"Maura," Jane exasperatedly sighs with a grin, "I do understand how that stuff works, y'know."

She tilts her head, shoulders slightly shrugging as she smiles. "Sorry."

Jane leans back in cheek to cheek— savoring the feel of her wife pressed close against her, the way they sway perfectly in sync with one another, that perfectly sweet smell Maura always possesses, and the warmth that seeming emanates off of her and seeps into Jane; filling her up with more love and happiness than she ever thought she would ever be allowed to have.

Jane grins, trying to pull Maura in a little closer. "I love you so much."

Even though Jane can't see it, Maura gives _that _smile and squeezes Jane's hand in her own. "And I love you. "

"And Sophia," Jane hesitates and then pulls back to look at Maura's face. "That's not weird is it? To love her before she's even here?"

"No," Maura's smile manages to get impossibly brighter and she leans back into Jane, eyes slightly watering, "Because I love her already too."

…

….


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here's a little short one for you guys! I'll probably have one or two more up within the week.**

…

As soon as Jane walks into Maura's office, she stops dead in her tracks. They had been at the grocery store for _three hours_ yesterday as Maura read every single label on every single item she had picked up to avoid any substances that she deemed _unfit to consume in this stage of pregnancy_.

Jane had been supportive and attentive…until Maura tried to read a label on a jar of olives. Neither of them even _liked_ olives.

So they had spent three whole hours—effectively causing her to miss the majority of the Sox game—grocery shopping for the healthy alternatives that she_ thought_ Maura would be eating for the rest of the week.

But now, Maura is sitting at her office desk eating a fluffernut sandwich with a side of red koolaid to drink. Jane raises her eyebrow as she takes a few steps forward and waits for Maura to look up. "Really?"

Maura gives a timid shrug as she takes a drink of the koolaid. "What?"

Smirking, Jane leans against the desk by the side of Maura's chair. "The 'all-natural celery mush diet' not working out so well for you, Doctor Isles?"

"Clearly not," Maura smiles as she picks up the other half of the sandwich.

"I thought that was _very unhealthy considering the sugar content_?"

"I don't sound like that," Maura counters at Jane's high-pitched impression. "But yes, it is very unhealthy."

Jane watches as Maura continues to daintily pull off the crusts despite the guilty look on her face, and smiles to herself when she realizes Maura's stomach keeps her from getting any closer to the desk. She would gladly waste—and yes, it was a waste since they clearly would be going back tonight to buy unhealthy junk food instead— her time at the grocery store for five hours if it meant making Maura happy, and there's _no one_ else she could ever say she'd do that for.

She leans over, kissing Maura's temple. "Well I promise not to tell you're eating something so unhealthy…if you give me a bite."

Grinning, Maura pulls off the tiniest bit and holds it up to Jane on her finger.

Jane looks from it to the satisfied, mischievous expression on Maura's face and tries not to laugh. "Really?"

"I'm eating for two?"

"Nice try," Jane retorts, laughing at the faux innocent look Maura gives. She leans down, giving Maura one more quick kiss before standing from the desk. "You gonna be done on time tonight?"

"Barring unforeseen circumstances, yes. I should be."

"Okay," Jane says as she starts walking towards the door. "I'll be back down then."

And she would be—with enough fluffernut sandwiches for Maura to eat for the entirety of the trip home.

….

**Any suggests or ideas are appreciated, and will probably be written! Otherwise, I'll probably end this around 10 chapters. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks for the feedback, I loved reading it! **

…

Nearly growling, Jane tosses the old screwdriver down beside her. She doesn't even know how to read the instructions—and she's only halfway opened the box—so there's no way she'll need tools to put it together anytime soon. "What kind of shit _is _this, Maura? I don't even think it's in English!"

Maura gives a sympathetic half grin as she walks into the newly painted nursery. Even she agrees with Jane's choice of the pale mint green. "You should've just let me hire the inst—"

"No," Jane interrupts, looking up at her wife and having to shift to see around the rounded baby bump, "We don't need to pay a couple of dumbasses a thousand bucks to put together a crib. I'm a detective and you're a doctor, surely we can figure this out."

Maura smirks, tilting her head. "Oh. So you need my help _now_? When I asked earlier you told me to stay put on the couch like a good—"

"Mauraaa," she whines, throwing her hands up. "I'm sorry, alright? Just help me. Please?"

Her light laugh fills the air as she struggles to sit down on the floor next to Jane. She grabs the instructions and her eyebrows immediately knit together. "Oh, wow. These _are_ complicated."

"Told you," Jane nearly sing-songs as she smirks. It was rare that she was ever right, but she reveled in it when she was.

As Maura studies the packet of papers, Jane reaches out and runs a finger up the arch of her wife's foot. Maura twitches, small smile forming as she tries to continue reading. She does it again and Maura bites her lip, her fingers crunching the instructions as she tries to sit still.

"Do you mind?" Maura finally asks, unable to fight her smile as she pulls away from Jane completely.

"No. Not really."

Jane wags her eyebrows, teasingly, and Maura laughs as she bumps their shoulders together. "It's nice to see you're in a better mood now."

"I'm always in a good mood when you're around." Maura's eyebrow raises and Jane shrugs. "Well, mostly."

"Mhm," Maura hums, using Jane's shoulder to help push herself up to stand. "I think I have this figured out now, though, if you'd like to start?"

Jane begrudgingly agrees, standing to pull the tape from the box to open it. Every so often—as Maura double checks the pieces Jane hands her—she feels a brush against her stomach. Thinking it's Jane being sweet, as she so often has been in the past months, she lets it continue until curiosity finally gets the best of her.

She looks down and only then does she realize.

Stuck to the shirt covering her rounded stomach are at least twenty tiny pieces of packing tape—all pulled from the box and the plastic that protected the wooden pieces of the crib. Without even looking, Jane reaches up to press another piece of tape that had stuck to her thumb to Maura's stomach, and she swiftly grasps Jane's wrist. "What are you doing?"

Jane looks up—startled—and then bashfully shrugs. "I couldn't get it off my fingers."

She wants to get mad. She really and truly does. Her body is not a personal trash can, after all. But Jane is looking up at her with a sideways smile, eyebrows lifted and shoulders shrugging and she just can't. At this moment there is absolutely nothing she can feel but unadulterated love for the woman that's standing next to her as they build a crib. Together.

Leaning down, she kisses Jane's forehead and then pulls back with a soft smile. "You're lucky I'm wearing an old shirt. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gotten off so easily."

Jane starts to grin, then pauses as her brown furrows. "Hey, that's not an old shirt! That's _my _shirt. _And_ I just bought it last month."

"Oh," Maura looks down, vaguely remembering the argument they had over Jane buying such a ridiculously ugly garment. "Well, regardless. It still looks old to me."

Jane teasingly sets her jaw in mock anger, before fully laughing and standing to wrap her arms the best she can around Maura's waist. "And you're lucky I love you. Otherwise, I would be offended."

"Can't have that, can we?" Grinning, Maura stands on her toes to lean up and softly kiss Jane's lips. "I love you too."

"You better since you're having our baby," Jane eyebrows furrow in playful scrutiny. "Unless this is some kind of weird baby-stealing scheme I don't know about."

"Jane," Maura sighs, as she shakes her head. Jane had gone from frustrated to quite spirited, and if she kept it up they would never finish this in time to make it the play tonight. She pulls back and tries to hide her smile as she lightly pushes Jane's shoulder. "Just…help me build this so we won't be late tonight."

"Orrr," Jane draws out with a wink, smirking all the while, "We can just find another reason to be late."

The innuendo is not lost on Maura.

Nor is it wasted.

The crib could wait, after all.

…..


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks for the feedback! And this is going to be 11 or 12 chapters with one of them being "M" and then I'll do a little sequel to this of their lives with baby Sophia **_**if**_** you would like to read about that. **

**This takes place a lot earlier than the others. Maura is ~4 months along here.**

…

It's hot.

So unbelievably, unbearably hot.

Her hair is starting to cling to her forehead, her shirt to her back and she groans as she uses her forearm to wipe her forehead. Maura laughs and nudges her shoulder as she walks up. "You know what they say: if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen."

"We aren't _in_ the kitchen," Jane retorts, pointedly looking down to the outdoor grill in front of them. "And I'm pretty sure it's hotter out here. Where the hell is Frankie? He's supposed help me do this."

"I asked him to pick up some beer for you on his way over," Maura answers, watching as the burgers are flipped—burgers that she had been craving for at least the past two weeks.

Jane looks up, catches Maura eying the food and nearly laughs. She has a feeling she's going to be sick of these damn things if Maura keeps asking for them. She reaches over with her free hand and rubs it down the curve of her wife's back. "You feeling alright?"

"Your mother has me quite busy in the kitchen, but yes," Maura replies, gently smiling at the way Jane wants her to be comfortable above all else. "I'm doing quite well."

"Good. Tell her if you need a break, she'll wor—"

"Jane," she interrupts softly, "This is Angela. The same woman who wouldn't let me help with the dishes on the night we told her we were expecting." She grins. "In fact, she has already offered to let me sit at the counter as I slice tomatoes lest I strain something."

"Maybe you should take her up on that," Jane teases, "Wouldn't want you to overwork yourself."

"I'm pregnant, Jane, not an invalid," she retorts, leaning up to give Jane a quick kiss at her jaw. "Please be sure to drink plenty of water. This temperature is optimal for dehydration."

"Really?" Jane smiles, wiping at the sweat on her forehead again. "I didn't notice."

Maura throws a smile over her shoulder as she walks away—Jane intently watching the sway of her hips in the airy sundress, her flexing calves all the way inside. She grins to herself as she looks back down to the grill. Never had she expected to be so lucky—a wife, a baby on the way, accepting family and friends.

It's perfect.

After thirty minutes and chugging more water than she probably ever has, she puts the last burger on the plate to take inside. And, of course, that's exactly when Frankie finally decides to show up. She raises an eyebrow and holds out the plate so he can carry it inside. "Where the hell have you been?"

He gives an innocent shrug that means he's been anything but innocent. "Gettin' the beer like Maura asked me to." Jane narrows her eyes in the way she usually reserves for interrogations, and he instantly caves. "And I _may _have met a girl while I was out," he adds with a bashful grin.

"At the liquor store, Frankie? Really?"

"Hey, she's a doctor," he exclaims as they start to walk inside. "Real pretty, too. I bet you'd like her."

"Yeah, since I love every decent-looking doctor I run into. Especially ones that buy alcohol in the middle of the day," she retorts, holding the door open for him to step inside.

"Well Maura's a decent-looking doctor and _we_ buy alcohol in the middle of the day."

"Yeah, but…Maura's just Maura and we're cops," she replies, waving her hand in the air to brush off his comeback, "It's different."

"Yeah, whatever. But I still think you'd like her."

"Like who?" Angela asks, standing up from digging around in the fridge for the ketchup.

Frankie sets the plate on the counter and then looks up at Jane—eyes wide and shaking his head as a plea.

Smiling, Jane looks between him and her mother before giving a small shrug. "Frankie's girlfriend," she says, trying not to laugh as Frankie tries to explain that _she's_ _not my girlfriend_ over Angela's beaming smile and loud exclamation of _more grandbabies!_

She walks to the counter and leans over the back of the barstool where Maura is sitting—Angela_ is_ very persistent—and leans down, kissing the crown of golden hair. Maura looks up, smirk tugging at her lips. "It wasn't nice to throw Frankie under the train like that."

"I threw him under the _bus," _she corrects, leaning down once more to kiss her wife's lips. "And he called you decent-looking. He deserved it."

"Mm, defending my honor again, I see," Maura replies, smiling. "Where would I be without you?"

Jane plops down in the empty barstool sideways to face her. "I guess you'd be a single lady without a bun in the oven," she looks over at her mother still rambling about grandbabies and wedding ideas as she smacks Frankie's hands away from the food, "And you'd probably be a little more sane."

Maura looks over at Jane—her wild hair that only gets more unmanageable with age, the faint smile lines that are now at the corner of her eyes, the warmth and love that shines through her dark eyes. Reaching out, she rests her hand on Jane's, her thumb rubbing across the simple wedding band on her finger. "I wouldn't change any of it."

Jane softly smiles, turns her hand palm up to squeeze her wife's. "Me either. Now," she starts, standing from the chair and walking around the small island. "What do you want to eat?"

After Frost, Tommy, and Korsak arrive, and after fixing Maura's plate and her own—both with some of everything in the kitchen—they decide to stay inside rather than go out because of the sweltering heat. Jane rests her hand on Maura's thigh as they eat, slowly rubbing her thumb in feather light circles against her wife's skin as they eat—a habit that neither remember when it started, but both always notice when it's missing.

"So," Frost starts, setting down his beer. "When do you go figure out what you're having? I'm ready to know what my godchild is gonna be."

Frankie and Tommy's heads both jerk up to look at Maura and Jane at the same time.

"You picked _Frost?" _

"What the hell, Janie?"

Maura looks to Jane, eyebrows knitted, and Jane looks to the three faces—four, if you count Angela—looking back at her. "I don't…I mean—"

Frost's loud bark of laughter cuts her off and he points to the bewildered faces of Tommy and Frankie. "I really had you guys going. _Damn_. That was just too easy."

Frankie leans over and punches Frost's arm. "Shut up, _Barold_."

Frost barely flinches and continues to laugh, Frankie and Tommy return their expectant gazes back to Jane. She rolls her eyes. "We haven't picked anyone yet so you can both stop looking at us like that," she says before looking back to Frost. "And we find out next week."

"What are you hoping for?"

"Well _I_ want—" She yelps at the sharp pinch to her side. She glares at Maura, but Maura glares back even harder. Defeated, she looks back up to Frost. "It doesn't matter what it is, as long as it's healthy," she mumbles.

"Aw, c'mon, Janie. That's not an answer," Tommy nags good-naturedly.

"That's what I keep saying," she replies, looking back to Maura with one eyebrow raised—clearly an _I told you so_.

Smiling, Maura lightly shrugs. And it looks so innocent and adorable that Jane can't even try to get a little mad at her.

Then she looks down at her plate and notices that her burger is covered in the things she hates—things her pregnant wife wanted on _her_ burger. "What the…_Maura_."

Maura looks up, all doe-eyed with the look of faux innocence written on her face. "Yours looked better," she replies, slight pout on her lips.

Jane scoffs and really, really tries to keep any hint of a smile out of her voice. "So you traded? Without even asking? I thought that was generally frowned upon in high society."

"It is," Maura replies with her bottom lip slowly rolling out even more, "But I was hungry."

Jane rolls her eyes, finally cracking a smile as she starts to eat her food. "The things I do for you."

After eating and laughing and talking about anything other than work, Jane drops down on the couch and drapes her arm around Maura's shoulders to pull her close to her side. Their thighs are touching, Maura's hand is resting on her knee, and her heart clenches with the love she has for her wife and all that they have together.

Absentmindedly, her fingers start to play with the ends of Maura's hair. "What time should we leave?"

"Within the hour if you'd like a spot that's not too crowded," Maura replies, looking over with a smile. "I'm glad we're going to see the city's fireworks this year instead of your _light and run_ attempt in the backyard last year."

"Me too," Jane replies, her smile somewhat fading. "It's not going to hurt the baby or anything, though, right?"

"No," Maura reassures, squeezing Jane's thigh. "The baby will be perfectly fine."

"Good." Jane smiles, leaning over to quickly kiss her wife's temple before standing and offering a hand to help Maura up. "Now come on, I want to get a good spot so you don't have to sit on my shoulders."

"You would do that for me?"

Jane glances over, eyebrow raised. "Don't even think about it."

….

**Sequel with the baby or no sequel? Either is perfectly fine with me!**

**Thanks for reading, as always! **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks for all those reviews/suggestions! Looks like you'll be getting that sequel after all (and maybe a few extra chapters of this before I end it!). **

…

The baseball game is something Maura has little interest in—even when Jane_ is_ here watching with her, she's not really focusing on the game— but she promised update Jane on what she's missed while she was still at work.

But Jane was only supposed to be _ten minutes late, tops._

Instead, she's 48 minutes late and counting. 

Maura glances away from the television for what seems like the hundredth time, her eyes slightly narrowing as she tries to look out of the window. Snow is falling fast now—no longer just the big, lazy flakes of before. She's starting to worry. It's unlike Jane to not call if she's going to be this late, much less miss this much of the big game.

Finally settling her internal debate on whether to call first or not, she picks her phone up from the table and dials the number—so concerned that she completely forgets she could've just used speed dial. It goes straight to voicemail and she frowns as she looks back outside.

This was very unlike Jane.

Just as she starts to call Angela, the front door flings open and thuds against the doorstop and she full-bodily jolts in surprise.

Jane grumbles as she steps inside, only bothering to ungracefully pull off her snow-crusted boots before giving up and walking to the living room. Her hair is covered in half-melting snow, the end of her nose and ears are red, and the huge coat—that most definitely belongs to one of her brothers—is zipped up to right below her chin, but she still manages one of her biggest smiles as she steps in front of the couch and leans down to kiss Maura on the forehead.

"Where have you been?" Maura asks. She doesn't know whether to be at least a little mad at Jane for causing her to needlessly worry, or be relieved that Jane came home with one piece.

But when Jane leans down and kisses her lips and she feels the love for this woman fill her up all over again, there's _nothing _she can be but relieved and glad that Jane is finally home by her side.

"I stopped to get the last one on my way home," Jane says through chattering teeth as she drops a white box on Maura's lap and flops down on the couch, "I just wasn't expecting my heat to go out halfway there."

Maura gasps as Jane's ice cold feet—even _with _the socks on—wiggle up under her thigh for warmth. "I told you to take my car today. It has be—"

"I'm not taking a baby blue Prius to work, Maura," Jane interrupts, smiling as she rolls her eyes.

Maura quirks her eyebrow, trying not to smile. "Then you deserved to nearly freeze on your way home."

"You say that now," Jane starts, "but who else would bring you that froufrou dessert you like so much?"

"Oh, Jane. You didn't!" Maura grins as she looks at Jane and then down to open the box.

But sure enough, in it lies a mini hazelnut cream cassata—something she had constantly wanted throughout the entire pregnancy.

"That's so sweet," she nearly sings as she sets the box on the coffee table. "Thank you."

Ignoring Jane's groan at being called something that's definitely not badass, she maneuvers her ever-growing self—she has less than a week until the due date and her back is definitely feeling it—on the couch to face Jane.

"And just for being so sweet," she starts in nearly a whisper, reaching out to unzip Jane's coat with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "you deserve to be warmed up."

"But the game," Jane says, glancing over to the television. But then she looks back at Maura's arched eyebrow and she shakes her head. "Is _definitely _not as important as you," she finishes, pulling her arms from the sleeves.

"Mm. That's what I thought," Maura smiles, too focused on Jane's skin under her fingertips to even remember to put the cassata in the refrigerator for later.

…..

**Reviews/suggestions greatly appreciated! **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you for the feedback! It really is a reward for the time taken out of my day for write for you, so thank you so much for taking a little time out of yours to leave a review! (: **

…

Propping herself against the door facing, Jane watches on as Maura—sitting on the end of the bed with only a white towel wrapped around her—struggles to lean over and put lotion on her lower legs. Her stomach limits the movements that used to be easy, so she picks one leg up and then the other—bending them this way and that before finally giving up with a load groan as she flops back on the bed.

Jane laughs, walking over to look down at her flustered wife. "Having trouble?"

"I can't reach my legs. Or my feet," Maura whines, reaching up to drop her forearm across her eyes. "I didn't think I would get so…_big_."

"Sorta comes with the package, babe," Jane retorts, leaning over to drop a kiss on her wife's frown. "Want me to help?"

Maura simply nods before scooting herself back to lie completely on the bed. Jane settles between her legs with the tub of imported lotion—that smells like vanilla and Maura and _home_— in her hands. "Ma wants to have Frankie's party tomorrow night. Do you think you'll feel up to it?"

"Of course I'll attend," Maura says, a slight moan escaping her lips as Jane's lotion-covered fingers start to massage her aching feet. "Slight lumbago won't prohibit me from—"

"Lumbagobobo?"

"Lumbago," she corrects, opening one eye to look at her wife. "Back pain."

Jane barely resists the urge to laugh. The way Maura made things more complicated—to everyone but herself, apparently—had always been one of her more endearing traits. She puts more lotion on her hands and slowly starts to rub and knead Maura's calves. "She also wants you to cook."

"What?" Maura exclaims, trying—and failing—to sit up in panic. "I don't have time! I haven't gotten anything prepared and it's too late to—"

"Relax," Jane laughs whole-heartedly as she gently squeezes Maura's knee to calm her, "I'm kidding."

Maura glares before resting her head back on the pillows. "Just for that, you have to rub my legs for an extra five minutes."

Jane's eyebrows quirk, crooked grin adorning her face. "Oh, really?"

"Mhhmm."

Jane laughs as her long fingers start to gently knead her wife's thighs. Just being home, being _together _and doing things as simple as this has easily become her favorite parts of the day.

Her hands get to the hem of the towel and she goes to pull it away, but Maura's hands quickly come down to rest on her own to stop them. "Don't."

Jane exhales heavily. Ever since the emergence of stretch marks in the past few weeks, Maura had become more self-conscious than she had ever been—though she had yet to admit what was wrong.

But Jane knows; she _always_ knows what's bugging Maura. Another perk of being together for so long.

Her thumbs lightly rub circles on the soft skin of Maura's thighs. "You're beautiful."

Maura's cheeks start to tinge pink and her hands tentatively drop away. "Jane…"

"I mean it," Jane says as she slowly pulls open the towel. Her fingers quickly move up, lightly tracing the marks on the sides of Maura's stomach. "These don't change that."

Maura sees the love and honesty in Jane's eyes, and her own water—it's the hormones, of course—as she is again reminded of how lucky and grateful she is to have Jane in her life. "Thank you," she manages to get out through a whisper.

Jane merely squeezes Maura's sides gently in response as she continues to massage in the lotion. "You thought of any names yet?"

Maura's eyes flutter shut in elation as Jane's fingers seemingly work magic in her sorest spots. "I was thinking about Enheduanna."

Jane's eyebrows immediately shoot up. "How about something I can pronounce?"

"She was the first recorded author of either gender, Jane," Maura says, unable to help the small laugh that bubbles out, "It's a very important name."

"Well it doesn't matter if it's important if I can't say it," Jane retorts, a smile adorning her own face. "What else?"

"Praxilla?"

Jane scrunches her nose. "Next."

"Gaia?"

Wild curls bounce as Jane shakes her head. "No way."

"Agrippina?"

Jane's eyebrow quirks, the teasing clear in her eyes.

"Are these even real names or are you just testing me?"

Maura sighs. "Bellona?"

"That's better, I guess," Jane says, methodically working the lotion down Maura's arms. "Maybe she wouldn't get made fun of for that one at least."

Deciding not to mention the meaning behind Bellona, Maura reaches up and pokes Jane's side. "Do you have anything better, Detective Smartypants?"

Jane nonchalantly shrugs, finally putting the lid on the lotion for distraction. "I was thinking that maybe we could name her Sophia."

As soon as she hears it roll out of Jane's mouth, she knows it's the one.

It's a weird feeling she's never had before—knowing something is right without even thinking twice about it (perhaps what Jane would even call a gut feeling?)—but it's one she's not going to refute.

Her head tilts, surprised that Jane would pick something so feminine and so…_perfect_. "Sophia?"

"Yeah," Jane says, climbing in the bed beside Maura and throwing the blanket over both of them as they talk, "It was my grandma's name. Don't think we_ have_to name her that or anything, I just thou—"

"I love it," Maura interrupts, smile gracing her lips as she rolls on her side to face Jane. "I think it will go very nicely with her last name. And I'm sure your mother will love it, too."

"She will, won't she?" Jane says, leaning over to kiss her wife's lips. Pulling back, she reaches out to rest her hand on the smooth, soft skin of Maura's stomach between them, lightly tracing circles with her thumbs. "Sophia."

Maura beams, snuggling as close to Jane as she can. "Sophia Bellona?"

Nodding, Jane lightly laughs as she confirms. "Sophia Bellona."

…..


End file.
